Follow the money - ESPN

Hey Buckeye fans, I know this has been talked about a few times on here but I wanted to throw in my two cents and maybe calm down some people.
As the subject states, follow the money.....ESPN will not, I repeat will not push or advocate for the BIG. Media; whether in politics and/or sports are huge players in guiding opinion amongst the mass. It's a long read but stay with me:
1. They are on the verge of starting a conference network (notice the promo's state "ESPN "SEC" Network." as opposedto "SEC Network." Promote product and that equals money....business/marketing 101
2. Don't think that the SEC network idea is new...it takes years to put something like that together; how long has ESPN been pimping the SEC? About 5 years.
3. They are nervous from a business standpoint...there is another "big boy" on the block named FOX1. FOX sports is also adding a second sports channel like the deuce early next year; remember how ESPN did it?
4. FOX1 has the money and power to challenge them. BTN is 50% owned by FOX sports and they have the PAC12 contract. Notice the channel where the BIG Championship will play.
5. Secondly, and I might be mistaken but I believe the BIG contract is up next year and both the BIG and PAC12 will sign with FOX sports and possibly NBC Sports for secondary games leaving out ESPN. ESPN can pay but so can FOX sports.
6. Everyone is smashing their teeth over the ESPN coverage but on FOX1 last night, Eddie and the other guy broke down why OSU is number two and factually explained that the SEC AND BIG out of conference record against ranked teams is 1-4 this year. Stated that in previous years, the SEC has been better but they are not this year and talked about OSU's 24-0 record. They also stated that beating your revival is not easy; look at Alabama.
So here's my point, its all about money guys...ESPN is in bed with that conference and no matter what we say or do, its not going to change. Here's what will change over the next year; the narrative will have a partner to dance with and the BCS is gone....it won't be the best system but you'll have to beat two very good teams to be champion.
FOX sports is no NBC or CBS sports; they are in it for the long run....they have NHL, some NFL, soccer and cage fighting and will have two of the biggest College football conferences by next year.
Sorry for the long message but what are your thoughts?

I give a lot of credit to one ESPN guy I heard early this morning. Didn't catch his name, but he said unequivocally that there's no way a one loss SEC team should jump an undefeated Ohio State or Florida State team. When his counterpart disagreed, he replied: "If you do that, you might as well just come right out and say the SEC winner gets an automatic berth in the MNC game."
Ballsy, and true. Wonder if he still has a job tonight?

“Don’t fear criticism. The stands are full of critics. They play no ball. They fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down on the field are the doers, they make mistakes because they attempt many things.”

“Don’t fear criticism. The stands are full of critics. They play no ball. They fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down on the field are the doers, they make mistakes because they attempt many things.”

Great information. After watching the BCS countdown I wanted to vomit. You just brought me down off the ledge. Maybe Fox could throw enough money to Herbie and get him. I wonder if he is forced to play along with the narrative because of the $$$. He did not seem comfortable with the conversation tonight. First time I have watched any ESPN outside of games and was sadly disappointed again.

ESPN has a built in bias towards the ACC and SEC because of their contracts with them. Of course they're not going to shit in the same bowl they eat out of. Some of the broadcasters and analysts have a huge SEC bias and others (minority few) at least try to be impartial.

Listen, bias or not....we can fix it by beating Sparty, and then beating FSU in the NCG. There will always be a few people who say Auburn should've been there, or it doesnt count because there wasn't an SEC team there, but if we go 14-0, we won't deal with this next year.

obviously some people just do not get it....... it is not about who beats who..... it is about the quest for $$$$$$$$$$$$ typical like my sig over @ espn was ("SEC best conference money can buy") I understand what he is/was said.... ESPN now controls over %60.00 of the media...... don't believe it follow their media payroll HELL IT's even in CBUS 97.1 home of the Blo Jackets, what can they do with all the media ? well for one they can manipulate the media vote i.e. media polls, how the hell else do you think TTUN got so screwed in 06, how the hell did Florida rate jumping TTUN by .006 of a point in the BCS poll..... it was fucked then, just as it is now, the ONLY reason the BUCKEYES are #2 is ESPN does not want to look so controlling over an undefeated team............ Like the man said above......FOLLOW THE CASH P.S. CHECK OWNERSHIP OF Westwood 1 media (hint ESPN)

Listen...ESPN no doubt loves the SEC. But they love the controversy with OSU because they know there are so many Buckeyes out there watching and losing their minds. You think they don't know how many more national TV sets will be on if its OSU vs FSU, rather than FSU vs Aub? If its the latter, no one north will watch it. OSU is a national brand, as is FSU to a degree. You can scream bias all you want, but the fact is they love the drama because Buckeye fans turn in and get themselves sucked into it all.

Sure...... I agree to disagree, It was just a few years ago, tOSU was frozen @ #8 in the BCS, LSU was #13, LSU squeaks by 2 chincy opponents and voila they Jump us and become #6, does tOSU stay @ #8........hell no, they drop to #9 so they can make room for another freakin SEC team bias yes, logic no...........ESPiN owns the voters, just ask the 2006 TTUN.......... a replay vs tOSU would have been nice, but NNOOOOO we can't have a re-match it would be ugly.......... SO after manipulating the human vote GATOR BAIT passes UM in the polls SOUNDLY THUMPING A REMATCH.... fast forward a little bit OH HOW LOVELY AN LSU/BAMA boring ass rematch for the NCG...... nooooooo !!!! there was no bias huh !!!!! somehow you guys just missed this did you not...... or do you think they create bullshit just for ratings due to an extremely large alum.

We all know about the ESPiN bias towards the SEC and ACC and that's it's all about the money. As far as the SEC in NC Games, they've won the last 7. As a great sports entertainer is really fond of saying, "to be the Man, you've got to beat the Man." The SEC in CFB is like Floyd Mayweather in Boxing, many people don't like him because he's arrogant and talks shit, but the only way to shut him up is to beat him. After every fight that he wins, they trot out someone new that's going to kick his ass, this time!! So far, no one has been able to. tOSU is in the prime position to end all of the SEC hype forever!! It's all on them, if they win the B1G Championship they're in the NC Game against FSU(no way they lose to Dook)then all they have to do is beat FSU and all of the SEC Hype will go away. Paul Finebaum will probably commit Hara Kiri, which would be a benefit to us all. But in the final analysis, it isn't on ESPiN or the National Media or anyone but the Buckeyes to do what needs to be done. They can end the entire argument by winning 2 more games and hoisting the Crystal Ball in Pasadena!!

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep, I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion~Alexander the Great

I hope you don't think Ohio State or someone else ending the SEC's streak of seven championships with one of their own is going to change the bias. If you do, you are in for a bitter reality. For some perspective on what I am trying to say, think of us beating *ichigan 11 of the last 13 years while they continue to boast about owning us all-time because of their early 1900's dominance.

I was listening to the post-postgame show on local radio and it was all about how bad the Buckeyes and the Big Ten were. If I wanted to hear that I would have been watching sportscenter. I hope Fox improves its local radio content sooner rather than later.

In the 15 years that the BCS has existed, an undefeated team from one of the "big six" conferences has NEVER been left out of the MNC Game in favor of a one-loss team. Literally, never. Beat Sparty & they're in.

as a digression i did watch college gameday saturday. numbnuts from meatchicken was the only one picking meatchicken. herbsreit when asked if his sons would be watching the game or another he did say that they would be all dressed up in thier gear and watching just one game. later while whats his face was spouting off about michigan herbie was looking disgusted and had a retort ready. but it is interesting that neither time did he say ohio state, espn has him boxed in. probably forced him to move to tennessee to get him out of columbus and off columbus radio. he might welcome a shift to fox if they paid him well and didnt restrict him like espn does. but would he ever leave corso? espn might be so afraid of that happening that they allow him some freedom. speilman speaks his mind and gets away with it, herbie can also.

Factual counter point to the ESPN conspiracy theory:
ESPN is 80% owned by Walt Disney which also owns ABC.
The Big10 grants it's broadcast rights to ABC and ESPN so aside from 1 game a week on the B10 Network, Walt Disney/ESPN?ABC get all B10 games.
The SEC prime time games are on CBS, with the lesser games on ESPN.
Currently, Walt Disney/ESPN have a GREATER interest in the B10 than the SEC!!!
This will change with the advent of the SEC Network, but so long as CBS still carries the prime SEC game, Walt Disney will still have more interest in the B10 than SEC.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, ESPN and all the other networks have an interest in VIEWERSHIP, they do NOT have an interest in who wins. Viewership drives ad revenue. Do we watch any less college football now that the SEC won 7 straight? No. The TV ratings say we are still watching. Ultimately if one conference dominates college football indefinitely it eventually will negatively impact viewership in all other regions which will hurt all the networks.
ESPN has dozens of talking heads with very diverse opinions, but 2 of the more prominent talking heads are SEC recent player alums who show their SEC favoritism...especially Pollack. But the fact is reasonable people can look at the same facts and come to very different conclusions.

Please show a direct line from the sec being propped up to espn making more money. Where is it in their financial interest to overinflate that conference when, as has been pointed out, the big ten has deals with espn, and viewership in the big ten conference is enormous as well. I truly believe that there is a bias on the part of the analysts, but it's way too much of a stretch to say that it is not simply a personal bias. Why can't the answer be the simplest one? When you hear foot steps, don't assume it's a zebra. You say follow the money, but have no roadmap as to how this vast conspiracy where all the analyst are held hostage to a narrative makes espn more money.

Oh, I wanted to also say that the fact they are starting a new network isn't enough. How are they making more money now? In the short term? In the long term? Saying it is so does not make it so. I would like to see the concrete steps that leads espn to vast riches by making people say false statements on tv. It's a huge assumption and if anyone us going to make the claim, they should have to back it up. Again, I don't deny a bias, but I feel it's not some concerted effort from higher ups and more likely what these people believe.